


Not Like the Others

by blake_is_strange



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: "slow burn", Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe, F/F, Max doesn't really like being an alpha, Mutual Pining, Rachel is alive, but she learns to love herself, dysphoric thoughts, mentions of dysphoric thoughts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-11
Updated: 2020-04-11
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:35:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23590009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blake_is_strange/pseuds/blake_is_strange
Summary: Max has a hard time accepting her alpha status, but some help from her friends makes her realize that your actions define you more than your gender or sex.
Relationships: Maxine "Max" Caulfield/Dana Ward
Comments: 9
Kudos: 86





	Not Like the Others

**Author's Note:**

> So I've never written Max/Dana before but I loved it, honestly. I've seen fan art of it and they're hella cute. I added in mentions of Rachel/Chloe because why not? Thanks yo @serhawkes for the request and please enjoy!

Max’s POV

“You got a date for next week’s party?” Chloe asks me as I snap a picture of the silver moth that’s landed on the flower next to the wall we’re sitting on. I sigh, shaking my head as I put the polaroid in my bag, letting it develop somewhere dark. 

“You know I don’t,” I say softly, watching the moth flutter away with the breeze. “I doubt anyone would want to go with me anyway.”

“Why not? You’re a perfectly available, and adorable alpha. Who wouldn’t want to go with you?” She asks the way she always asks those sorts of questions. Chloe’s never understood why those words make me squirm. I’ve never seen being an alpha as an asset. It’s more of a curse, honestly. 

“Chloe, can we not talk about this?” I ask her softly, really not wanting to dig into this right now. “I’d rather not go digging around in my subconscious right now.”

Chloe sighs and stands, stepping in front of me so she can lord over me with the few inches she has on me. I stare up at her, pointing my camera at her, but she doesn’t budge. Most people move out of the way or at least look a little surprised when I point the little gadget at them, but Chloe’s used to it by now. She’s even had me take a few pics of her and Rachel together. She has one of those polaroids hanging from the sun visor in her truck. She looks at it a lot now that Rachel is in LA for a week. 

“Max, you have got to sack up,” she says firmly, crossing her arms. As I look at her, I wonder what goes through her mind when she thinks about her status. Does she ever wonder how to control herself when her instincts start to take over? She’s not even on suppressants. I mean, they’re not for everyone. Some people don’t need them. But I know a lot of alphas who should be on them but aren’t. Or they at least need a lesson on self-control and not making everyone for three miles supremely uncomfortable.

But Chloe is a good person. She doesn’t push people with her pheromones or take control of situations with dominance displays and she’s only ever gotten into a fight when it came down to something as serious as Nathan throwing a rock at Kate’s head.

But she’s the exception to the rule. Most alphas are angry and full of hormonally driven intentions. That’s why I asked my parents for suppressants as soon as I presented. I can’t stand the idea of being like people like Nathan. An alpha who takes and asks questions later. Or not at all. 

“Dude, you’re a mega nice person and you really aren’t like anyone else. You care way too much about all this status stuff,” she says more gently, putting her hands on my shoulders and looking into my eyes as she leans down a bit, making sure I’m listening. “You being an alpha doesn’t make you a bad person. And if anyone thinks so, they’re stupid. You’re the nicest, most gentle person I know. The only reason that you’d be like anyone else is if you suddenly had an identical twin no one knows about.”

I can’t help laughing softly as my friend speaks, my arms wrapped around myself. I’m not sure why this has always been so difficult for me. I don’t know how to tell her that, though. Chloe is so strong and confident. Maybe she’s right. Maybe I just need to start valuing the parts of me that are different than everyone else and stop worrying about what makes me similar. 

“I just wish I could be as confident as you,” I tell Chloe, her face falling a little. She grabs both sides of my head, my eyes widening as I look up into her eyes. She looks down at me, that no-nonsense look on her face that she gets whenever I start talking about myself in a not so nice sort of way. 

“Max, listen to me and listen good,” she says firmly. I swallow hard, deciding I should probably hear her out so she’ll let go of my face. “Fuck me. Fuck everyone else. You don’t have to be like me, you don’t have to be like Trevor, you don’t have to be like Nathan or your mom or anyone else. You’re you and that’s ok. You’re allowed to not want to be an asshole. You care more about people than anyone else I know. So be you. Be you whether it’s ‘alpha’ or not. You got it?”

I nod, letting the words sink in a little. Chloe lets go of my head, seeming satisfied with my acknowledgment of her words. She smiles and ruffles my hair, making me smile back. I open my mouth to thank her, but then her phone is ringing and I know it’s Rachel before Chloe’s face lights up when she looks at the screen. 

“Sorry, SuperMax, gotta dash,” she says with a grin. “See you later!” She answers her phone, running off towards the school parking lot. I watch her go, sighing softly as I rub my palms over my jeans. 

It’s a Friday night so most people are going out or studying for finals. There isn’t much to do. I stand and walk towards the dorms, watching the way the light of the setting sun shimmers through the leaves and branches of the pine trees. Part of me wants to go out, do something fun. But another part of me wants to lay down in bed and binge something on Netflix for the whole night. 

I go into the dorms, taking the elevator to my floor and then walking down the hall. I walk past Dana’s room and pause, a strange scent hitting my lungs. I sniff the air, the scent of fear filling my nose. My brows furrow and I move closer to Dana’s door, knocking gently when I hear the sound of someone sniffling on the other side of the door. The sniffling stops when I knock and I hear some shuffling.

“C-come in!” Dana calls shakily. I slowly open the door, seeing the tall brunette is sitting on her bed, cross-legged and puffy-eyed. My heart breaks a little in my chest. Dana is a pretty typical cheerleader beta in a lot of ways, but she has a good heart and has been nothing but nice to me ever since the day we met. 

“Hey, Max,” she says shakily, wiping tears from her face as she tries to smile. The sight just hurts my heart more. “How are you?” 

“Dana, are you ok?” I ask her gently, ignoring her question. She laughs sadly and sniffs, rubbing her face to clear away all the signs that she’d just been crying. 

“Yeah, there’s just a lot going on, you know?” She says with a soft smile, pausing before patting the spot next to her on the bed. I walk over and sit down next to her, something growing in my chest as I reach out to let my hand rest on Dana’s shoulder. I rub her back gently, almost like my body knows exactly how to comfort the tall, beta girl. She lets out a wavering sigh, seeming to relax under my hand. 

“I don’t know what I did wrong,” she whimpers, tears welling in her eyes again as she looks into my eyes. “Logan broke up with me. I don’t… I don’t know what to do. He says he wants an omega girlfriend instead and I… God, Max, I feel so stupid.” She buries her face in her hands and cries, her body shaking against me. I wrap my arm around her shoulders, my heart falling into my stomach as she buries her face in my shoulder. 

I feel her tears starting to soak through my jacket, but I don’t care. I hold her close to me, rubbing up and down the side of her arm as she cries. I feel a strange mixture of anger and protectiveness for my friend. 

“He’s an idiot,” I say gently, hearing the way Dana’s sobs stop for a moment so she can laugh. She sniffs and starts laughing more, wiping her face on her sleeve. I look around and grab a tissue out of the box that’s sitting next to me on the bed, handing it over to her. She smiles and uses it to wipe her nose. “Anyone who dumps you is an idiot. Your status doesn’t make you good or bad. It’s just a tiny part of who you are.”

I can’t help wondering how much I sound like Chloe right now. I feel a bit like a hypocrite. 

“You’re sweet, Max,” she says with a smile, but I can see in her eyes that she’s having a hard time believing my words. 

“Dana, I mean,” I say firmly, looking into her eyes. “You’re just as good as everyone else. If not better. You’re one of the nicest people I know. Plus, you’re beautiful and smart and talented and you put your heart and soul into everything you do. Who wouldn’t fall absolutely head over heels in love with you?” 

The smile on Dana’s face goes from sad to shy, but it’s better than sad. I’ll spend the entire night making sure that Dana is anything but sad. 

“You really think all that?” She asks me softly and I smile back at her, covering her hand with my free one as I give her a soft squeeze. 

“Of course I do,” I say matter-of-factly and the way Dana looks at me makes the way I’ve had to move out of my comfort zone more than worth it. 

We spend the night watching old horror movies and eating old popcorn. It’s a good night, one that starts to become a habit. 

Dana and I spend the next few weeks traveling between each other’s dorms, having movie nights, study sessions and nights where all we do is talk. It’s nice and it’s soothing. She even comes out with Chloe and I a few times and I feel something in me start to blossom to life every time I see her face. Which is often. 

So when I’m pacing around my room with Chloe’s words in my head, I can’t help the nervousness that’s consuming me from the inside out. 

“Max, you need to sack up. She’s totally into you and you’re totally into her. What do you have to lose?”

Chloe’s right, I know she is. But if I tell Dana that I like her, she might reject me and our friendship could be over just like that. How is that worth me getting this off my chest? How is ruining something so special worth the idea of something that could be more? 

It’s selfish of me to think that Dana could ever feel the same way. She’s never shown any interest in girls, regardless of their status, and I’m no exception. 

I mean, sure, there was that time where she wore one of my sweatshirts for an entire day because she fell asleep in it and didn’t want to give it back. And the time she kissed my cheek when I bought her a soda at the bowling alley. And the way she looks at me when I play my guitar. She makes me feel like I’m a rockstar when she looks at me like that. 

But what’s the point of thinking about how those things make me feel if the way I feel could possibly ruin all of that forever? Dana is an amazing friend and my completely stupid and hopelessly gay feelings aren’t a good enough reason to risk losing that. 

I’m just about to pull my hair right off my head when someone knocks at my door. 

God, with my luck that’s her. I think to myself, moving to pull open my door. 

To my surprise, Dana’s face isn’t the one I see when my door opens. 

“Oh, hey, Juliet. Something wrong?” I ask her. She seems a bit tense, her scent radiating irritation and her fists clenched at her sides. 

“Yes, something is wrong,” she says with a huff, pushing past me into my room. I flinch, my brow furrowed as I turn to look at her. “Why haven’t you asked her out yet?” I pause, taken even more aback.

“What?” I say softly, closing my door behind me as I turn to face the taller girl. 

“Dana. You know, my hot best friend who’s been mooning over you for the past three weeks?” She asks impatiently, crossing her arms over her chest. 

“She… She’s been mooning over me?”

“Oh my god, you’re oblivious,” she sighs, walking over to me and turning me around so I’m facing the door. “Go. Go talk to her right now. I’m sick and tired of hearing her whine about how cute you are and how you’ll never notice her. So go!”

“Juliet, I-”

“I don’t wanna hear it. I know you like her. You’re gayer than a Skittle flavored rainbow and it’s obvious. So please, for the love of everything that is good in this fucked up world, ask her out on a date or I might have to hang myself from the nearest banister,” she insists, opening my door and shoving me out of my own room. I stumble into the hall, so taken off guard that I barely notice that all I’m wearing are my sleep shorts and an old ratty t-shirt. 

Juliet is standing between me and my room, looking at me expectantly. 

“Well?” She asks impatiently. I sigh and run my fingers through my hair. God help me. 

“Ok, ok. Jesus. Can I at least put on real pants?” I ask, but that doesn’t seem to get any mercy from the annoyed girl in front of me. 

“You’re asking her on a date, not giving a speech on the meaning of life. Go, for fuck’s sake,” she says harshly, shooing me away. I groan and start down the hall, my heart thundering away in my chest. 

Dana’s in her room, I can hear the bass of her music vibrating through the door. I raise my hand, ready to knock before looking back towards Juliet. The taller girl motions for me to go on and knock. I swallow hard and knock softly, surprised when the music is turned down and the door is opened. 

The brunette in front of me is even prettier than I remember, even though I saw her just a few hours ago. Maybe it’s the knowledge that she likes me. Or maybe it’s the way she’s smiling at me like I’m the only person in the whole world. 

“Hey, Max! What’s up?” She asks with a smile, motioning for me to come in. I follow her into her room, trying to remember what it takes to breathe correctly. 

“I… I uh wanted to um… I wanted to…” I trail off, looking into her blue eyes to see the patience I’ve become so accustomed to seeing from her. She always lets me take my time. I don’t have to rush through my thoughts with her. I can just be. I take a deep breath, squaring my shoulders. If Juliet is telling the truth, then this is for both me and Dana, not just me. 

“I wanted to ask you out on a date,” I say as confidently as I can manage, my heartbeat getting so fast and loud that I can hear it in my ears. There’s a pause and Dana’s smile falls for a moment before she starts to giggle. I can’t help deflating a bit when she laughs, even though I love the sound. “Ok, I probably deserve that.”

“No, no. Max… God, Max, you have no idea how long I’ve wanted you to ask me that,” she says softly, her laughter fading as she moves to take my hands in hers. My heart skips and I smile, loving the familiar warmth of her fingers. She actually holds my hand a lot, now that I’m thinking about it. 

“But, don’t you still like Logan? I know he’s a jerk and stuff, but you guys were-”

“Not worth the effort,” she interrupts, taking a small step closer to me and nudging my nose with hers. I smile and laugh softly, looking into her eyes again. “I like you, Max. You’re sweet and gentle and you see me for me instead of just seeing what everyone else does. Even if you thought of me a certain way before, you still listened to what I had to say and let your opinion change and that… That’s why I like you so much. You see people for who they are, not the masks we wear to impress each other.” 

I pause, no sure how to respond at first. How can she really think all that about me?

“Dana, I… I’m not like other alphas,” I tell her softly, getting a confused look in return that makes my stomach flip. “I just mean that… That I don’t act like them. I’ve spent a lot of my life trying not to be like everyone thinks I should be. What if we start dating and you want me to act differently but I can’t?” 

“Max, I don’t care about that stuff,” she says gently, cupping my cheek so I’ll meet her eyes. It’s so hard to keep my eyes on her when the shame of who I am sets in. “You’re the one that told me that I don’t have to be an omega to deserve love. You don’t have to be a typical alpha for me to love you.” 

My knees almost give out when she says that, but I manage to stay upright, a huge smile spreading across my lips. I wrap my arms around the beta girl, pulling her as close to me as I possibly can. She holds you tight, kissing my forehead gently. I feel so safe when she holds me like this. Dana makes me feel like I don’t have to be the ideal alpha so be treated with respect. I’ve never had to pretend to be someone I’m not when I’m with her. 

Maybe this could work. Maybe Dana and I could work.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading and have an awesome day!


End file.
